Witch boots, haunted mantel, and a ledger....

Aren't these boots just the "witchiest"? Thank you Etsy.....where all things cool can be found.
I've been really busy decorating the house for Halloween, or as my dd calls it, "Hallowed Halloween", she just loves it to pieces!! She's going as a bee keeper this year...do you ever get tired of going to the stores and seeing the same old costumes, year after year? Well, that's where I'm at this year, really needed something a bit more "out there" and clever. So hopefully she'll be the only bee keeper at her school parade. Trying to find the bees is a bit tricky this time of year though, so I had to go online, but found some today so will anxiously await them and then start applying them to her costume.
Found this ledger on ebay, I really do need an intervention when it comes to these....I adore them! This one is large and just stunning with cool writing inside.....at least it wasn't expensive so I can't feel guilty for "winning" it.

It's been beautiful weather here, sunny but getting cold, 28 degrees tonight! Love it that way.

My big project this week is cleaning my studio.......again :(. Wish I had magic fairies to keep it clean, I really do.

Hope you all have a great week, and happy creating :)).

More Halloween to come......

Well, if you've not experienced the weirdness of a computer going rogue you're lucky!

Mine decided to do some really strange things on Friday that really scared me. Even worse was when dh got home and looked at it and heard the sounds it was making he said, "It doesn't sound good." In other words the hard drive was fried or the mother board (whatever that is) was history. Either way, all I could think about was.......what about all my "stuff".....my downloads, my purchases, my email, all of it........gone......

Well, because my dh is so talented..he got it going again, and needless to say I now have backup so I don't have this happen again.

PEOPLE, GET SOME BACKUP FOR YOUR COMPUTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you really afford to lose everything that's on there? I know I can't.

Just some advice, take it or leave it......I know what I'd do.......

Soon I'll be posting some new Halloween goodies in my etsy shop........stay tuned...again!

Kickin' Halloween into high gear.......

I've got so many ideas for Halloween goodies that sometimes I feel I'm spinning my wheels!

This is my latest creation....I'm really trying to work on using all elements of the paper items I find, in this case, books. So the covers can be used as either a matte board for a collage or re-use them for art journals. I don't throw anything away, so what to do with the book pages?

Well, even though this isn't my original idea (to crease the pages and fan them out this way) I find that this method makes a great and original "photo stand" for seasonal artwork.

This was so fun to make....
It will be listed in my Etsy shop soon.....along with some other Halloween goods.

Happy creating....don't you find it easier now that the weather has cooled down and we have a reason to stay inside? I'm loving it!!

Isn't it amazing how....

having an unorganized kitchen can halt forward motion? For me at least, this week at least....my kitchen has been giving me fits for a while now. It's a standard kitchen of the 80's with all of the inefficiency therein....the standard cabinets that are a pain in the rear to get into. So I'm just trying to be smarter than my cabinets....I think I'm winning!

Until we can afford new, updated, sleek cabinets, I'm stuck with what I have. Which means I have to be that much more organized...not always my forte but I'm trying...and I'm persistent.

And boy does it feel good to get rid of all the extra junk that we don't use anymore that's just been taking up valuable space!!!

Looks like a trip to St. Vinnie's is in my immediate future...yah!

Now I can feel free to get in my craft room and create some more Halloween goodies......stay tuned....

My flea pickings..........

Well, here they are, my HUGE haul from the flea yesterday :). Ok, I didn't get a lot, but what I did get I absolutely love! These two books are so awesome. The little one is leather bound with gorgeous endpapers inside. It's called Petits Sermons by Bertrand. It has the most perfectly aged pages within, all in French, mais oui!
The larger book is a giant! It was *gulp* $5! I grabbed it quick....it's all about Egypt, Greece, and Italy....history, etc. and has lots of steel plate engravings inside...just beautiful. According to a signature in pencil in the back of the book it belonged to a Miss Malia Bell in 1888.
The tin and a half were just cute, I'll try my hand at making something with them.

Thanks for checking in, I'll be listing new etsy items, hopefully today if my pictures came out ok.

Hope everyone has a great week, it's supposed to be in the 90's here for about the next 3 days.

Happy Fall!!!!

Went to the flea today.........

I only wish I had more money with me.....I took a $20 bill out of dh's wallet and set out...wish I had grabbed more!

I had to pass up two very lovely hat boxes for $15! AAcckkkkkk, that one hurt...oh well, that's one way to make sure you don't spend too much, right?

I'll post pics tomorrow of the four items I did buy.....the sun is out so I could have taken pics but it's so dang windy here and that always wreaks havoc with my photos....and trust me, I need all the help I can get in that department :). Oh well, can't be great at everything.....

I hope you all had a nice relaxing weekend, we went to a football game yesterday (our team lost) and today went out to lunch and then went on a nice walk to a local park where I proceeded to fill my pockets with acorns......love them!

I feel some Fall decorating coming on, how about you?

Some Colby Cottage love.....

It's open ladies, and it's gorgeous in all it's shabby, chippy, worn- in spendor.....that's right, I'm talking about Colby Cottage here in Eugene. And I was the first customer to walk through their doors on Tuesday! (Not that I was anxious or anything:))

They had their "soft open" on Tuesday and it was so fun walking in and seeing all the beautiful vignettes that Kathy is so known for....I purchased the beautiful pillow above (it's huge, about 22x20 and filled with the squishiest down insert), the "perfect shade of pink velvet" jewelry case, and the oh-so-cool old shoe form.

I love it all.....and I'll be back tomorrow for their GRAND OPENING at 10am sharp...with a friend of course, because friends tell other friends about Colby Cottage.

Kathy has so many beauties for sale and the prices are very reasonable...happy, happy, happy.

So do yourself a favor, go grab your calendar right now and find a time to come check out this beautiful new store, you'll be so glad you did.

(And no, I promise she hasn't hired me to be her new personal agent or anything like that!)

BTW, the pillow I purchased did not come with that flower, it's one I already owned and decided that my pillow needed it, not that it's not gorgeous on it's own....because clearly it is.

Trying to find my routine........

So two blogs in a row with no photos.......aaaaacccckkkkkkkkkk!!!!

Never thought I'd do that. So much going on..today is dh and my 14 year anniversary, dd's 1st day of 3rd grade....and Sunday is her 9th birthday. So just a bit going on. So what else is new?

Tonight we're going out as a family to a nice dinner to celebrate all the good (and let's face it, there's a lot of good :))

Friday I hope to get to Monticello since the former trip didn't work out (car troubles). Dying to see my bff, Melanie, just miss her to bits!

Wish me luck with this trip........I really need some shopping therapy, hasn't happened in quite a while.........

Is anything better than back to school time?

Tomorrow is our dd's first day of 3rd grade......where has the time gone? She's over-the-moon excited to go, today we visited classrooms, took pictures, etc., and she can't wait!

Me, I'm a little sad......excited for her but sad at the same time. This is what she needs to grow in every way, and I'm so happy for her in her excitement! I do remember what it was like, the anticipation, the smells, the nerves...all of it. The supplies, seeing old friends.

For me, the first few days are the hardest......it's really quiet around the house, all my activities are based around her pick-up time..........and I can't wait for that!

"How was your first day, what was for lunch, what did you do on the playground, who did you play with?"

Sigh........a new routine is beginning.....

The time is drawing near, and I can't wait!!!!!!

My darling daughter and I will be heading north on Friday morning to see Melanie at her darling shop, All My Favorite Things, then we'll all head over to Monticello for the big sale that starts on Friday morning....I'm beyond excited to have a great day with my daughter and my best friend both..... what could be better? 

I'll try to take lots of pictures for those of you who can't get to Monticello....it's superb! As is Melanie's shop, I'm making her a Halloween coffee filter banner to put in her window for the "wicked season".

Did I say "I can't wait" yet?

BTW, the pretty clock above was just listed in my Etsy today.....

It's beginning to look a lot like....Halloween!!!!!

O.K., so I don't get to post very often, but I AM trying...my dd doesn't start school until Sept. 9 so until then, she's my priority!!! That being said, I have been working on creating for my favorite holiday...Halloween.
I love creating Halloween goodies, they're just the best...and now is the time to shop for Halloween, all the stores are putting out their goods. But we all know that the best items are those that are handmade, in other words, ONE OF A KIND!!!! I love knowing that some of the decorative items in my home can't be found anywhere else....because they are handmade, unique.

So here is a small sampling of what will soon be in my Etsy shop...just check the upper right side of my side-bar and you will be whisked away to my Etsy shop.

I've made some journals, some small Bingo cards, shadowboxes, collages, etc. for your enjoyment....
Have fun and I hope you're all getting "in the mood" for Halloween. I know I am....

Estate sales....the happy and the sad....

Friday a.m. dd and I happened upon an estate sale sign, so we followed it. It led us into a trailer park. The aged oak trees were so beautiful....we got out and went in...the woman obviously had come from means at one time....there were several fur coats and fur stoles for sale, and lots of very well made and (at one time) expensive suits. She also had lovely china and curio cabinets filled with interesting things. The signature above is found in the lovely birthday book below,
it's so tiny and pretty, with a proverb for every month.
The ration book above was in a curio cabinet and is filled with interesting information....and tokens, not sure what those were for. The case is buttery leather.
I couldn't pass up this tiny leather Bible....


This woman had several card sets, like the Canasta set above, how cute are they?
The box above is my favorite find of this sale, I can only imagine what treasure was inside...at one time....but the fact that she saved it is so touching....

The box below intrigued me as well, I just wonder what it held...I have no idea but look at the stamp on the back of it...


I think this woman was well-traveled at one time (at least I like to think so.) I also bought a beautiful black cloth umbrella with a carved wooden handle for $1.

I just can't help but wonder about who this woman was and what brought her to where she ended up.......do you ever wonder like I do about the people at estate sales and what happened to them? Although it was a humble trailer, she had some lovely collectible items.....makes me wonder. I'm choosing to think that she was a widow and decided to downsize years ago and just keep those things that were the most precious to her...that's what I'm choosing to think.

Wanna see what I did last night?

Thanks to Pam's article in Green Craft magazine (from the publisher's of Somerset Studio) I was so inspired to make my own coffee liner garland. I'm sure most, if not all of you, have heard of Pam Garrison by now, artist extraordinaire. She became somewhat obsessed with these garlands that were hanging in Anthropologie stores a few years ago and set about to create her own.
I have to admit it's not really something I would have thought up on my own (wish I were that creative!) These have such an ethereal quality to them, especially hanging on a window with light coming through....they're just lovely.
This was such a FUN project and a great way to use up the various supplies that a lot of us tend to hoard....vintage music books, ribbons, flowers, fabrics, etc. 
The skies the limit here as far as your own creativity goes, look around your space and see what you'd love to put on your garland...you could even put photos of your family on the ends, how cute would that be? Mine is currently hanging on my laundry room window, may stay there a while, may move....who knows?

Making the most of the rest of summer vacation....

Today we took a trip to the Enchanted Forest in Salem and then went to Silver Creek Falls. What a lovely day....and a big one for dd, who is almost 9yo. She's never been one for rides at amusement parks, and we've never forced her....and she's still a bit afraid of the dark....but today she went on the log ride and loved it! We were very proud of her for even trying it....but she still didn't like going into all the weird little fairy tale houses that were there, and I can't really blame her. This is a child who wasn't raised on the scary Grimm's-type fairy tales but on the more benign Disney stories....

After that we went to Silver Creek Falls Park and did some hiking and exploring, really fun.

I hope you're all making the most of your last days of summer and making some memories with your families......oh and make sure you head on over to 52flea! She's having a fantastic giveaway and even offering to be your personal shopper! How cool is that?

My vacation finds.....

Well, it's official, I am completely incapable of leaving an antique store without something made out of paper.....it's just a fact. The group of books above are so cool, they have an off-white sepia looking cover and leather spines.....just cool.

I'm showing this cigar box above that I bought online because of it's cool graphic...
Aren't these boxes fun? Just love them for storage in my studio, they have more character than any other kind of storage (in my book anyway :)).

Look at this cute vintage handwriting tablet, best friend may need this for an upcoming display window...we'll see.
This item above and below is very interesting...I asked the owner of Yankee Trader (Carrie) if she had any ledger books and she brought me this. It's obviously not a ledger but was so cool inside with all the flaps to hold cards. I haven't decided if I want it for postcards or to make an awesome shadow-box item out of it.....
Check out the little pad of rent receipts below with the cutest graphics ever!

The Tom Thumb cash register is adorable and still works, even though part of the drawer is missing, I can still hold little bits in it on my work desk....it's sitting on a great little file box with a really cool handle on it. Love these for storage too....
Last but certainly not least is what I found at Farmhouse Funk near Astoria, this cool celluloid Christmas photo album, broken clasp and all. It will be great to display unless I decide to sell it.
Thanks for checking out my fun finds, all but the last item came from the same store in Gearhart, Yankee Trader, so if you ever find yourself in that area you must check it out! Carrie is wonderful, you'll love her store!

Ahhh, home again........

We had a great time at the beach, even though the weather could have been better...I know if you live in the NW you have no pity at all for me because it was soooo scorching inland, but we had mostly cloudy weather at the beach, which I don't mind too much but more sun would have been ok with me.  As I was packing up dd's things I couldn't resist this beach snapshot above in her little bathroom, her suits hanging up to dry :). 
The pic above is from our bedroom looking towards, what else, the ocean!! That's the little path we take through the dunes to get to the beach....
I did get some shopping in although there's not a whole lot of great places to shop...Farmhouse Funk is a new one for me, I only bought one item there and I'll post pictures later in the week after I unpack..my favorite store is called Yankee Trader in Gearhart, and it's fabulous! The owner Carrie, is as nice as she can be, and her prices are fabulous, I did buy quite a bit there as my generous MIL gave me a nice gift certificate to that store for my bday (thanks again MaryEllen!) I had so much fun shopping there and went back three times!

It's great to be home, the only down side is the unpacking, what a job.........have a great week and do check back in a couple, I'll have pictures of what I found!

Vacation time.........

And can't wait! We go to the Oregon coast every summer and stay at the same house, it's such a treat. We stay in Gearhart and visit Astoria, Cannon Beach, Seaside and have the best time.

I bring a stack of magazines and books for inspiration and just to relax. We go down to the beach every day that the weather is even semi-nice, but I must confess that we have built fires in the fireplace during our summer vacation sometimes.....that's just life on the Oregon coast.

It's all good, and the best part is that I get to celebrate my birthday there, what could be better?

I'll chat with you in about a week, hope it's a good one for you all, it's supposed to hit the triple digits here in the Willamette Valley, so it's a good time to go away!